12214: Don’t Cry For BBH.

Adweek published a peculiar piece on the Johnnie Walker review, positioning incumbent White advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty as a victim who may unfairly lose the account. After all, Adweek argued, “Keep walking” is a classic campaign that has allegedly delivered results. Um, since when have results influenced an advertiser’s decision to move its business? Diageo appears to be giddy about the lame Jude Law video produced by Anomaly, showing that the client cannot distinguish between strong and mediocre work—and it’s safe to assume Anomaly has data to prove Mr. Law generated positive results.

According to Adweek, a leader at one competing agency remarked, “I don’t like seeing agencies that really built something getting dusted off.” Sure, but the asshole isn’t so upset that he’ll withdraw from the shootout. Even an official from a consultancy that organizes reviews said, “…it seems strange [Diageo] would place the account in review, given the success of the product and the success of the campaign.” Yep, but the asshole is not so perplexed that he’d ever refuse to oversee the assignment.

Diageo certainly has motivations for its decision to review, and the client will probably never publicly disclose whether the reasons suck or not. Perhaps the advertiser is making good on its commitment to diversity, realizing BBH has no commitment to inclusiveness. Then again, the other competitors in the review are equally equality-averse.

In the end, BBH won’t be the first agency to lose an account for fuzzy rationales. But there’s no need to shed tears for the place, as the shop is hardly a bunch of choirboys in a cathedral. If Johnnie Walker walks, take it like a White man.

Even BBH’s Rivals Wonder Why Johnnie Walker Is in Review

After all, the shop’s ‘Keep walking’ campaign has delivered results

By Andrew McMains

Diageo’s $40 million global creative review of its marquee Johnnie Walker brand has caught many by surprise, given the sales growth the brand has enjoyed under longtime lead agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty and its “Keep Walking” campaign.

In fact, agency rivals and a search consultant—who typically are cynical and critical of agencies and their work—can’t fathom why the world’s No. 1 scotch whisky is looking around. In addition to BBH, sources identified the finalists as BBDO, Anomaly, Ogilvy & Mather and Wieden + Kennedy.

Observers see “Keep Walking” as a gold standard in spirits advertising and a driver of Johnnie Walker’s growth. When the campaign began in 2000, brand sales represented 13 percent of the global market; at the end of 2013, that figure exceeded 20 percent, according to the IWSR.

“It’s one of the world’s greatest brands. And you know what? BBH made it one of the world’s greatest brands,” said a leader at one rival shop, adding, “I don’t like seeing agencies that really built something getting dusted off.”

Russel Wohlwerth of External View Consulting Group is equally puzzled by the search. “You never know what goes on behind closed doors,” he said. “But on its face, it seems strange they would place the account in review, given the success of the product and the success of the campaign.”

Perhaps Diageo is just doing due diligence after 15 years with BBH. After all, even global brand director Guy Escolme admitted that the relationship has been “hugely successful.” Nevertheless, Escolme added that “the time is right to invited selected agencies, including BBH to look at how we take the brand forward into the future.”